Fabric Friday

Aren't these bookmarks so cute! I always seem to have two books on the go and yet my bookmarks always consist of a reciept or scrap of paper. I thought it was time to actually have a bookmark that I was proud of! I've made quite a few of them for birthday presents for friends and family. They are nice and simple to make. If you like straight lines in your sewing, then a sewing machine would be good (if you sew anything like me anyway!) but it's not essential.


You will need:

• Fabric cut to 4″ x 8″
• Fusible interfacing cut to 3.75″ x 7.75″
• Fabric strip for flower cut to about 1.25″ x 42″
• Coordinating thread and sewing machine
• Fabric glue
• Coordinating button
• Needle and thread
• An iron!

I got the instructions for these cute bookmarks from Little Birdie Secrets.  The fabric is, of course, from Stampin' Up! The best thing about the fabric bundles is that you get three fat quarters of co-ordinating fabrics which takes the worry out of picking matching fabrics and you can even use Stampin' Up! buttons for a perfect colour match.

Christmas past

I think this is probably the last week that I can get away with using my new Santa mug, so whilst I was still in the festive spirit I wanted to share with you the lovely handmade cards that I received from my friends this year. Notice how they all use Stampin' Up! products! Thank you all!

I also wanted to share with you these cute little table favours that we had on our table on Christmas day. The children all had the Santa pillow boxes with a couple of Quality Street inside them. The cute birdhouses are made using the mini milk carton Big Shot die. This is such a versatile die and perfect for putting a quick gift together.

Right, that's it for Christmas cards but as I am still scrapbooking my Christmas photos I will be back with some layouts later next week.

Spring Mini Catalogue Blog Hop!

It's time for another blog hop! There are so many lovely new goodies in the Spring mini that a blog hop is really such a fun way to see some of them and to get inspired! I always enjoy taking part and seeing all the wonderful designs that the talented demos on In Love With Stamping come up with.

Click here if you'd like to see some of the gorgeous new products available. As always, if you'd like to place an order or want a copy of the catalogue then please contact me.

Welcome, if you have joined me from Hayley's blog.
Aren't her designs gorgeous?

I just love Spice Cake and was so excited to see it in the April mini. I immediately wanted to scrap a layout with it and was inspired by one by Megan Hoeppner. I hope you like it.

I didn't want the embossed letters to be too shiny. I initially covered the chipboard in chocolate chip ink before covering in versamark and then the gold embossing powder. I rubbed off some of the embossing powder and didn't fully heat in patches to give a slightly distressed look to them and to let the chocolate chip show through in places.

Recipe
Spice Cake DSP 124003
Spiced Paisley stamps w127155/c125817
Spice Cake Designer Fabric 124066
Just Perfect Alphabet 115358
1 ¼" circle punch 119861
1/2 circle punch 119869
Distressing essentials 118762
Gold embossing powder 109129
Versmark 102283
Soft Suede ink pad 115657
Crumb Cake card stock 121685
On board Alphabet Soup chipboard letters 119239

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and do leave a comment if you can - it's nice to know you've stopped by. Now it's on to the wonderful Kate.

Here is a list of everyone who is taking part.
1. Alison P - www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
2. Daisydaye - www.emma-daye.blogspot.com
3. Sarnie - www.kraftybiker.blogspot.com
4. CarolynUK - www.stampaholix.blogspot.com
5. Tracey R - www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com
6. Kara M - http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com
7. Hayley (craftydevils) - www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com
8. Emma_H - www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com
9. Kate - http://stampinupwithkate.blogspot.com/
10. Theresa M - http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com
11. TinaFaghy - http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
12. Donna M - http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com
13. Laura - http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com
14. Charlie - http://craftylittlemoos.blogspot.com/
15. Sara (craftingandstamping.com) - http://craftingandstamping.com
16. Leanie - http://www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk
17. LittleBeckie (Beckie) - http://www.bextiesandstickytape.blogspot.com
18. Jayne (charliemenace) - http://jaynescraftycorner.blogspot.com
19. Julie H (craftybug) - http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
20. Fiona W - http://oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.com
21. Natalie - http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
22. Rozelle (LittleMoo6) - http://thepapercraftsessions.blogspot.com

January Scrapbook Club!

Most of you probably know my love of scrapbooking by now, and this year I've decided I want to catch up on all those photos that are waiting to be scrapbooked! So with that in mind, and after requests, I am starting a scrapbook club! January's class will be a Christmas one and we will be making two layouts.

Date: Tuesday 17th Jan
Venue: my house!
Time: 8pm

An email has gone round to everyone who is on my email list but if you'd like to know more than give me a call or drop me an email. Sign up is by Friday 5th January. Sorry about the short notice but I hope some of you will be able to join me.

November hostess promotion!

We have a brand new promotion for November!

All workshop hostesses who host a £300 workshop from 1 November – 15 December, will receive the Paisley Petals Bundle Set and a package of Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper - up to a £33.90 value - for FREE in addition to the regular hostess benefits!

Qualifying hostesses can choose between the wood- or clear-mount Paisley Petals Set.

The stamp set is such a pretty one, and having seen the papers in the flesh I can tell you that they are lovely! The large flower head would make a lovely alternative Christmas card.

Call me soon if you'd like the chance to earn this lovely free stamp set and papers. And don't forget, that if your workshop order comes to £300 you get all of the following:

1) Paisley Petals Bundle FREE  

2) £50 in hostess pounds to spend anywhere in the catalogue

3) one item at 50% off, and that one item could be the Big Shot!

New Hostess benefits & New Recruit offer!

There is so many changes in the new Idea Book & Catalogue that it's hard to know where to start!

I am so excited about the new Hostess benefit system! The three tiered level hostess system has gone and has been replaced with four pages of lovely new stamps and papers, and the good news is that if you have a qualifying party of £150 or more, you can order any of them! Instead of the free stamp set from the previous IB&C you now have Hostess Pounds that you can either spend on the exclusive Hostess only products or anywhere else in the catalogue! How amazing is that?!

And if that wasn't enough, if your workshop is £300 or more you get one item at 50% so you could buy that Big Shot for half price! Which with the £50 you get free for a £300 workshop, would mean that you could get £90 worth of free product!!

Want more? Well, if you sign up as a demo in October and join my Inklings team then not only do you get approx £250 worth of goodies for £119 but during October only, you will also get the In-Colours bundle worth £27.95 absolutely free!

So as well as all the wonderful goodies in the Starter Kit (which you can personalise) you also get the following free:

• Pool Party Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Calypso Coral Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Lucky Limeade Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Island Indigo Classic Stampin’ Pad
• A4 Smooth Card Stock (20 sheets: 4 ea. in new In Colors)

Stampin' Up! has a +One challenge for all us demos this year and the task that I have set myself is to share my love of Stampin' Up! with a new recruit. So if you are interested in finding out more and joining my Inklings team then please get in touch: emmakray@yahoo.co.uk

It's here!

The new catalogue is finally live! And I am so excited to be able to finally share it with you. I am sure that you are all going to love it as much as I do. And not only do I have a new catalogue to share but there is also an exciting new Starter Kit offer as well with even more freebies! So if you want to join me in my Inklings team then pop back later tonight when I will update you with this fab new offer.

But first, it's blog hop time! A large group of us on ILWS have got together for a blog hop to showcase some of the new loveliness from the IB&C. Hopefully, you will have arrived at my blog after visiting Caroline's. I just love her Christmas card.

As a demo we are allowed to order pre-order items before the IB&C goes live and I just had to have the Delicate Doilies set. So here is what I came up with.

 Yes, we have fabric!! Do you like my little owls. I'm not the best at sewing but these owls were so quick and easy to whip up. I adapted a tutorial from Efemera Ink to make the birds. I'll be back with instructions tomorrow.

I love fabric, it's great for adding dimension to a card, but also if you do sew, how fabulous it will be to match your present and card! You get three different patterns of fabric in each pack. I'll be showing you lots of ways to use this lovely fabric on your cards throughout October.

Have you spotted the new lace ribbon border punch too! It's lovely. You can back the doilies with different coloured card using the 1" circle punch which matches perfectly or you can even thread ribbon through it.

Card: Basic Grey & Wistera Wonder *new in-colour
Ink pads: Melon Mambo, Wistera Wonder*, Pool Party*
Buttons: from the Subtles buttons collection
Punch: Lace Ribbon Border 122362

Next is a lovely card that we made at the Stampin' Stars training session last weeknd. I love how Natalie layered up the greeting using one of the fab new doily shapes from the designer paper pack, a medallion from the new BS Perfect Pennants Bigz L die, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches. I can't stop saying this, but I love how SU! makes everything so easy for us by making sure that the punches and stamps work together. The greeting stamp is from Happiest Birthday Wishes which is one of the exclusive new Hostess stamp sets.

Well if you have read this far, then thank you for popping by. As always, your comments are really appreciated. The next blog to hop to is Sally's. I am sure you will love what she has made.

The full list of the Blog Hop is below:
1. Lauralou http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com/
2 AlisonP www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
3 Glittermum http://www.mygroovystampinup.blogspot.com/
4. Theresa M http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com/
5. SarahLP http://stampingobsession.com/
6. Sassy Stamper (Elaine) http://www.thesassystampers.blogspot.com/
7. Sarastamper (http://craftingandstamping.com)
8. JJ66 http://jan-crippin.blogspot.com/
9. Evy c http://evyscraftycreations.blogspot.com/
10. DonnaM http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com/
11. Scrappydiva http://www.stampin-divas.blogspot.com/
12. Natalie http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
13.Dawn http://www.tartanstamper.blogspot.com/
14. Erika (Twintrouble) http://twintroublescreations.blogspot.com/
15. Maggie (maggiemae) http://thefineartofstampin.blogspot.com/
16. Julie H (The Crafty Bug) http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
17. Elizabeth (Stash Fairy) http://elizabethscraftroom.blogspot.com/
18. Michelle (ShellieStamps) http://michellescraftypaper.typepad.com/
19. Keren. http://www.kerenbaker.wordpress.com
20. Emma (Daisydaye) http://emma-daye.blogspot.com/
21. Rachel (Rachel) http://www.stampingurl.blogspot.com
22. Valerie (valmoody) http://stampingwithval.wordpress.com/
23. Kara (KaraM) http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com/
24. Sarah (IOW Sarah http://www.stampinsarahiow.blogspot.com/
25. Tracey Rossos http://www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com/
26. Jacqui (scrappy duck) http://jacquisworldofcraft.blogspot.com/
27. Patricia (Beckscraft) http://stampinbeckscraft.blogspot.com/
28. Sarah-Jane http://cardsandacuppa.blogspot.com/
29. Claire http://stampinupscrapper.blogspot.com/
30. Cupcake http://pinkycardsandcreations.blogspot.com/
31. Kimf http://kimfeecrafter.blogspot.com/
32. carolineskinner http://stampinupandbranchingout.blogspot.com/
33. Emma_H http://www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com/
34. Sally - Pink Sky. x http://pinkskysu.blogspot.com/
35. Carolyn http://stampaholix.blogspot.com/
36. Tina http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
37. Hayley (craftydevils) www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com